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Glossary of Military Terms
beginning with letter C
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cadet Tweet Definition of cadet Like Definition of cadet on Facebook
noun
  1. A student at a military school who is training to be an officer.
  2. Junior, the younger or youngest son.
cadre Tweet Definition of cadre Like Definition of cadre on Facebook
noun
  1. frame or framework
  2. (context, military) The framework or skeleton upon which a regiment is to be formed; the officers of a regiment forming the staff.
  3. Core of a managing group
cage Tweet Definition of cage Like Definition of cage on Facebook
noun (plural:cages)
  1. an enclosure made of bars
  2. the passenger compartment of a lift
verb (cag, ing)
  1. to put into a cage
  2. (advertising, politics) To track individual responses to direct mail.
caisson Tweet Definition of caisson Like Definition of caisson on Facebook
noun (wikipedia, caisson (engineering))
  1. an enclosure, from which water can be expelled, in order to give access to underwater areas for engineering works etc
  2. the gate across the entrance to a dry dock
  3. (nautical) a floating tank that can be submerged, attached to an underwater object and then pumped out to lift the object by buoyancy; a camel
  4. a two-wheeled, horse-drawn military vehicle used to carry ammunition (and a coffin at funerals); a large box to hold ammunition
  5. in architecture, a variant of coffer
caliber Tweet Definition of caliber Like Definition of caliber on Facebook
noun
  1. (alternative spelling of, calibre)
calibrate Tweet Definition of calibrate Like Definition of calibrate on Facebook
verb (calibrat, ing)
  1. To check or adjust by comparison with a standard.
  2. To mark the scale of a measuring instrument.
  3. To measure the caliber of a tube or gun.
caltrop Tweet Definition of caltrop Like Definition of caltrop on Facebook
noun
  1. a small, metal object with spikes arranged so that, when thrown onto the ground, one always faces up as a threat to passers-by.
camisado Tweet Definition of camisado Like Definition of camisado on Facebook
noun
  1. (archaic) A nocturnal ambush or surprising act of aggression.
camouflage Tweet Definition of camouflage Like Definition of camouflage on Facebook
noun
  1. a disguise or cover up, covering up.
  2. the act of disguise, disguising.
  3. (military) The use of natural or artificial material on personnel, objects, or tactical positions with the aim of confusing, misleading, or evading the enemy.<ref>(JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms).</ref>
  4. (fashion) a pattern on clothing consisting of unregularly shaped patches that are either greenish/brownish, brownish/whitish, or bluish/whitish, as used in the army.
verbto camouflage (camouflages, camouflaged, camouflaging)
  1. to hide or disguise something by cover up, covering it up or changing the way it looks.
camouflet Tweet Definition of camouflet Like Definition of camouflet on Facebook
noun
  1. (military) The resulting cavity in a deep underground burst when there is no rupture of the surface.
canister Tweet Definition of canister Like Definition of canister on Facebook
noun
  1. A cylindrical or rectangular container usually of lightweight metal, plastic, or laminated pasteboard used for holding a dry product (as tea, crackers, flour, matches)
  1. any of various cylindrical metal receptacles usually with a removable close-fitting top
  2. A special short range antipersonnel projectile consisting of a casing of light metal, loaded with preformed submissiles such as flechettes or steel balls. The casing is designed to open just beyond the muzzle of the weapon, dispersing the submissiles.
  3. Component of canister type protective mask containing a mechanical filter and chemical filling to filter, neutralize and/or absorb toxic chemical, biological and radiological agents.
  4. Projectile component containing colored or screening smoke or riot control agent composition.
cannon Tweet Definition of cannon Like Definition of cannon on Facebook
noun (pl=cannon, pl2=cannons)
  1. A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar. It may include muzzle appendages.<ref name="JP102">(JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms).</ref>
  2. historical: A large muzzle-loading artillery piece.
  3. modern: A large-bore machine gun.
  4. A bone of a horse's leg, between the fetlock joint and the knee or hock.
  5. (context, sports, billiards, snooker, pool) A shot in which the ball struck with the cue comes in contact with two or more balls on the table; a hitting of two or more balls with the player's ball.
  6. (baseball) The arm of a player that can throw well.
He's got a out in right.
verb
  1. To bombard with cannons
  2. (context, sports, billiards, snooker, pool) To play the carom billiard shot. To strike two balls with the cue ball
The white cannoned off the red onto the pink.
cannonade Tweet Definition of cannonade Like Definition of cannonade on Facebook
noun
  1. Firing artillery in a large amount for a length of time .
verb (cannonades, cannonading, cannonaded)
  1. To discharge artillery fire.
cannonball Tweet Definition of cannonball Like Definition of cannonball on Facebook
noun
  1. a ball which is for firing out of a cannon
  2. a way of running at a swimming pool and jumping in creating a large splash, mimicking the flight and shape of a cannonball
"I would call it a water-entry stunt, not a dive" &mdash; Coach O'Brien quoted in The New Yorker, 30 August 2004, p.40
cannoneer Tweet Definition of cannoneer Like Definition of cannoneer on Facebook
noun
  1. (context, military) A person who tends and operates a piece of artillery, especially a cannon.
Luckily, the was only mildly injured when his cannon malfunctioned.
cannon fodder Tweet Definition of cannon fodder Like Definition of cannon fodder on Facebook
noun
  1. military forces considered to be expendable
  2. (rare) artillery ammunition
canteen Tweet Definition of canteen Like Definition of canteen on Facebook
noun
  1. a small cafeteria or snack bar, especially one in a military establishment or place of work
  2. a temporary or mobile cafe used in an emergency or on a film location etc
  3. a box with compartments for storing eating utensils, silverware etc
  4. a military mess kit
  5. a can for carrying water
cantonment Tweet Definition of cantonment Like Definition of cantonment on Facebook
noun
  1. temporary military living quarters, especially in India
capital ship Tweet Definition of capital ship Like Definition of capital ship on Facebook
noun
  1. (nautical) the most important type of warship in a nation's fleet
captain Tweet Definition of captain Like Definition of captain on Facebook
noun
  1. An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.
  2. A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.
  3. (nautical) The person lawfully in command of a sea-going vessel.
The captain is the last man to leave a sinking ship.
  1. The person lawfully in command of an airliner.
This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your safety belts.
  1. One of the athletes on a sports team who designated to make decisions, and is allowed to speak for his team with a referee or official.
  2. The leader of a group of workers.
John Henry said to the captain,"A man ain't nothing but a man."
Synonyms: supervisor, straw boss, foreman
  1. (American South) An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel.
verb
  1. (intransitive) To act as captain
  2. (transitive) To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team.
car bomb Tweet Definition of car bomb Like Definition of car bomb on Facebook
noun
  1. An automobile laden with a very large amount of explosives, and detonated by a variety of means such as a timer, remote control, or a suicide bomber.
  2. An explosive attached to the fuel tank of an automobile, typically triggered by the ignition.
  3. (slang)Flatulence in an enclosed automobile (i.e. when inclement weather precludes open windows.)
cartridge Tweet Definition of cartridge Like Definition of cartridge on Facebook
noun
  1. (context, firearms) The package consisting of the bullet, primer, and casing containing gunpowder; a round of ammunition.
  2. (A general sense that arose by extension from the sense of firearm cartridge) A prefabricated subassembly that can be easily installed in or removed from a larger mechanism or replaced with another interchangeable subassembly.
  3. (computing) A vessel which contains the ink or toner for a computer printer and can be easily replaced with another.
  4. (computing) Magnetic tape storage, used for storing (backup) copies of data.
  5. (obsolete) A small paper package, e.g. in an old book about making printer's type: After all the type has been cast: "The Boy will paper up each sort in a by itself".
cascabel Tweet Definition of cascabel Like Definition of cascabel on Facebook
noun
  1. A variety of small, round, hot chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). Named so because the seeds make a rattling noise when the pepper is dried.
  2. A knob at the end of a cannon, cast onto the gunbarrel, to which ropes are attached.
  3. A bell attached to a sleigh or sleigh harness.
cashier Tweet Definition of cashier Like Definition of cashier on Facebook
noun
  1. One who works at a till or receiving payments.
  2. Person in charge of the cash of a business or bank.
verb
  1. To dismiss from service, for example the military service, especially dismissed with disgrace.
    • 1968, http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Revilo_P._Oliver Revilo P. Oliver, "What We Owe Our Parasites", speech (June 1968) - They found an Army officer who had been a military failure until Bernard Baruch promoted him to General, and who in 1945 should have been able to hope for nothing better than that he could escape a court martial and thus avoid being cashiered, if he could prove that all the atrocities and all the sabotage of American interests of which he had been guilty in Europe had been carried out over his protest and under categorical orders from the President.
catapult Tweet Definition of catapult Like Definition of catapult on Facebook
noun
  1. A device or weapon for throwing or launching large objects, such as a mechanical aid on aircraft carriers designed to help airplanes take off from the flight deck.
verbto catapult
  1. (transitive) To fire a missile from a catapult
  2. (transitive) To increase the status of something rapidly
  3. (intransitive) To be fired from a catapult
  4. (intransitive) To have one's status increased rapidly
cavalryman Tweet Definition of cavalryman Like Definition of cavalryman on Facebook
noun (: cavalrymen)
  1. a soldier in the cavalry
CB Tweet Definition of CB Like Definition of CB on Facebook
initialism (wikipedia, citizens' band radio)
  1. citizens' band
  2. Chemical and Biological
cease-fire Tweet Definition of cease-fire Like Definition of cease-fire on Facebook
noun
  1. alternative spelling of ceasefire
centurion Tweet Definition of centurion Like Definition of centurion on Facebook
noun
  1. An officer of the ancient Roman army, in command of a century of soldiers.
CEO Tweet Definition of CEO Like Definition of CEO on Facebook
initialism
  1. chief executive officer
CG Tweet Definition of CG Like Definition of CG on Facebook
initialism
  1. Computer Graphics
  2. Cover Girl
  3. (baseball) the statistic reporting the number of "Complete Games" thrown by a pitcher
chaff Tweet Definition of chaff Like Definition of chaff on Facebook
noun
  1. The inedible parts of a plant whose seeds are eaten as grain.
To separate out the , early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff.
  1. By extension, any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
There are plenty of good websites on the subject, but take care to separate the wheat from the .
  1. Loose material dropped from aircraft specifically to interfere with radar detection.
challenge Tweet Definition of challenge Like Definition of challenge on Facebook
noun
  1. An instigation or antagonization intended to convince a person to perform an action they otherwise would not.
  2. A difficult task.
  3. A judge's interest in the result of the case for which he or she should not be allowed to sit the case.
Consanguinity in direct line is a for a judge when he or she is sitting cases.
verb (challeng, ing)
  1. To invite someone to take part in a competition.
  2. To dare someone.
  3. To dispute something.
  4. To make a formal objection to a juror.
chamade Tweet Definition of chamade Like Definition of chamade on Facebook
noun
  1. (Military History) A signal sounded on a drum or trumpet inviting a parley.
  • 1762: But when the was beat, and the corporal helped my uncle up it, and followed with the colours in his hand, to fix them upon the ramparts " Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, vol. 6 (Penguin 2003, p.402)
chamber Tweet Definition of chamber Like Definition of chamber on Facebook
noun
  1. A room, especially one used primarily for sleeping; bedroom, sleeping room.
    • 1845, w:Edgar Allen Poe, Edgar Allen Poe, s:The Raven, The Raven,
    • : Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
      Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
      While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
      As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my door.
      1. An enclosed space. For example, a test chamber is typically a closable case where devices under test are placed.
      2. In a firearm, this is the portion of the weapon that holds the ammunition round immediately prior to (and during initiation of) its discharge.
      Dianne loaded a cartridge into the of the rifle, then prepared to take aim at the target.
      1. One of the legislative bodies in a government where multiple such bodies exist, or a single such body in comparison to others.
      The resolution, which speedily passed the Senate, was unable to gain a majority in the lower .
verb
  1. To enclose in a room.
She had chambered herself in her room, and wouldn't come out.
  1. To place in a chamber, as a round of ammunition.
The hunter fired at the geese and missed, then shrugged his shoulders and chambered another cartridge.
  1. To create or modify a gun to be a specific caliber.
The rifle was originally chambered for 9MM, but had since been modified for a larger, wildcat caliber.
charge Tweet Definition of charge Like Definition of charge on Facebook
noun
  1. Someone or something entrusted to one's care, i.e. a child to a babysitter.
  2. A load or burden.
    • 2005, w:Plato, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. w:Stephanus pagination, 261a.
    • : we'll nail the sophist to it, if we can get him on that ;
      1. The amount of money levy, levied for a service.
      2. An instruction.
      3. An impetuous attack.
      4. An electric charge.
      5. (basketball) An offensive foul in which the player with the ball moves into a stationary defender.
      6. A measured amount of powder and/or shot in a firearm cartridge.
      7. (heraldry) An image displayed on an escutcheon
verb (charg, ing)
  1. To place a burden upon.
  2. To assign a duty to.
I'm charging you with cleaning up the kitchen.
  1. To formally accuse of a crime.
I'm charging you with grand theft auto.
  1. To assign a debit to an account.
Let's charge this to marketing.
  1. To pay using a credit card.
Can I charge this with my corporate card?
  1. To cause to take on an electric charge.
Rubbing amber with wool will charge it quickly.
  1. To move forward quickly and forcefully, particularly in combat, on horseback or both.
  2. (military) To attack by moving forward quickly in a group.
  3. (basketball) To commit a charging foul.
  4. (cricket) (of a batsman) To take a few steps doen the pitch towards the bowler as he delivers the ball, either to disrupt the length of the delivery, or to get into a better position to hit the ball.
  5. To ready a firearm for use
Charge your weapons, we're moving up
Charlie Tweet Definition of Charlie Like Definition of Charlie on Facebook
proper noun
  1. (given name, male, , ) A diminutive of the masculine given name Charles.
  2. (given name, female, , ) A diminutive female given name of Charlotte or Charlene.
  3. (uncountable) The letter C in the ICAO spelling alphabet.
  4. (uncountable) (slang) Cocaine.
  5. (British and Australian slang, often qualified with right and/or proper) A fool.
You look a right in that clown outfit!
Is your name Charlie? ... Well, you look like one.
chaser Tweet Definition of chaser Like Definition of chaser on Facebook
noun
  1. A person or thing (ship, plane, car, etc.) who chases.
  2. A mild drink consumed immediately after another drink of hard liquor.
  3. (context, logging, obsolete) Someone that follows logs out of the forest in order to signal a yarder engineer to stop them if they become fouled - also called a frogger.
    • 1900: Pamphlets on Logging Equipment author unknown - Page 22
    • :"...on one end knwon as a Bardon choker hook, to facilitate making a loop, It stays tight and makes it unnecessary for the "" or "choker setter" to follow the "turn" tothe landing as might have to be done if tongs are used"
    • 1913: Logging: The Principles and General Methods of Operation in the United States by Ralph Clement Bryant - Page 219
    • :"A follows the logs to the landing, often riding in a rigging sled hollowed out of a log, which is attached to the rear log. The can signal to the road engineer at any point..."
    • 1918: United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation: Hearing Before the Committee on ... by United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce
    • :"and the is the fellow whose job it is to follow along after these logs to..."
      1. (context, logging) one who unhooks chokers from the logs at the landing.
    • 1956: Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumber- Jack by Stewart Hall Holbrook - Page 184
    • :"The rigging slinger hooks the chokers to the main line' the chaser unhooks them at the spar tree."
    • 1975: Nobody Here But Us: Pioneers of the North by Fred Moira Farrow - Page 170
    • :A chaser was the man who unhooked the logs that were yarded in to the spar tree.
    • 1985: Logging and Pulpwood Production by John Kenneth Pearce, George Stenzel - Pages 242-243
    • :"When the turn arrives at the landing, the directs the engineer where to drop the turn by hand signals. The then unhooks the chokers, gets in the clear, and singlas to reel in the haulback line".
      1. A horse trained for steeple-chasing, a steeple-chaser.
    • 2002: Betting for a Living by Nick Mordin - Page 351
    • :"It looked like The Fellow was the best steeplechaser in many years. He'd earned the best speed rating I'd ever given a ."
    • 2003: American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 by Avalyn Hunter - Page 458
    • :"Wild Risk...had his greatest successes as a steeplechaser rather than a flat racer... It is rare indeed that a ' - even one as good as wild risk - makes a good flat sire."
    • 2004: Sports Ticket: Live the Action! by Sportsfile - Page 179
    • :"Oh, that final furlong! It can be both agony and ecstasy. Anyone who doubts that should have seen the television close-up of Jim Lewis as his great Best Mate came up the final hill at Cheltenham in 2004 to clich a hat-trick of Gold Cups. ... Best mate is the best steeplechaser we ahve seen for years and all being well will be at the Cheltenham Festival again in 2005 to try and make it four Gold Cups."
      1. A tool used for cutting the threads of screws.
    • 1894: Machinery (author(s) unknown) (Page 141)
    • :"In Fig. i is shown one of the chasers in the position which it occupies in cutting a thread."
    • 1918: Thread-cutting Methods: A Treatise on the Operation and Use of Various Tools and Machines for forming screw threads... by Franklin Day Jones (Page 32)
    • :"Many screw threads are also finished completely with chasers of this type, although they are not adapted for extremely acurate work unless the teeth are ground after hardening, because the pitch of the teeth is affected more or less by..."
    • 1994: Handbook of Dimensional Measurement by Francis T. Farago, Mark A. Curtis (p.467)
    • :"The category of thread cutting tools inlcudes both the single-point and multiple-point type lathe cutters."
      1. Someone who decorates metal by engraving or embossing.
    • 1863: The Employments of Women: A Cyclopaedia of Woman's Work By Virginia Penny
    • :"Mr B., heraldic , says there are several processes in making heraldy plates, sketching, engraving, embossing, chasing and burnishing." (page 100)
    • :"H. & C., manufacturers of cloth and gilt buttons, say it requires some weeks to learn to chase the gilt buttons, which are done with small metal tools and a hammer. Chasers are paid by the peice, working ten hours a day, and some can earn $1 a day."
    • 1971: Living Crafts by George Bernard Hughes - page 36
    • :"Flat chasing in sunken or low relief is a technique by which the ornament is formed by beating down the ground from the front. This is done in essentially the same manner as repoussé work, where the ornament appears in high relief, but the design is punched from the face of the silver plate. ... Sometimes, instead of applying a freehand design, the covers the greased suface with a paper pattern in which the design is pricked with pins."
    • 1972: Silver by Richard Came - Page 7
    • :"Chasing in general can be distinguised from engraving, in that the design can be seen on the reverse or inside of the pieces. Having outlined the pattern on the surface, the cuts and at the same time slightly depresses the surface. A light hammer can be used in this process also."
chasseur Tweet Definition of chasseur Like Definition of chasseur on Facebook
noun
  1. Any of several light infantry regiments in France
  2. A style of cooking in which meat is cooked with a sauce containing mushrooms, shallots and white wine
chief Tweet Definition of chief Like Definition of chief on Facebook
noun
  1. A leader or respected elder in a tribe.
They came to the to resolve their dispute.
  1. The head of an organization.
All firefighters report to the fire .
  1. (heraldry) A horizontal band across the top of a shield.
    • 1889, Charles Norton Elvin, A Dictionary of Heraldry:
    • : When the Chief is Charged with any figure, in blazon it is said to be "On a Chief".
adjective
  1. primary, Primary; principal.
Negligence was the cause of the disaster.
chieftain Tweet Definition of chieftain Like Definition of chieftain on Facebook
noun
  1. A leader of a clan or tribe.
  2. A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain.
  3. (capitalized) The name of a British military tank.
Chinook Tweet Definition of Chinook Like Definition of Chinook on Facebook
proper noun
  1. (uncountable) A Native American language of the Penutian family of Oregon and Washington.
citadel Tweet Definition of citadel Like Definition of citadel on Facebook
noun
  1. A strong fortress that sits high above a city.
  2. A stronghold or fortified place.
citation Tweet Definition of citation Like Definition of citation on Facebook
noun
  1. An official summons or notice given to a person to appear; the paper containing such summons or notice.
  2. The act of citing a passage from a book, or from another person, in his own words; also, the passage or words quoted; quotation.
  3. Enumeration; mention; as, a citation of facts.
  4. A reference to decided cases, or books of authority, to prove a point in law.
cite Tweet Definition of cite Like Definition of cite on Facebook
verbto cite
  1. To quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another.
  2. To list the source(s) from which you used information, words or literary or verbal context from.
clasp Tweet Definition of clasp Like Definition of clasp on Facebook
noun
  1. A fastener or holder, particularly one that clasps.
I always have a hard time working the on this necklace.
verb
  1. To take hold of; to grasp; to grab tightly.
They clasped hands and parted as friends.
cluster Tweet Definition of cluster Like Definition of cluster on Facebook
noun
  1. A group or bunch of something, containing only a few members, which are close to each other.
  • A of flowers grew in the pot.
    1. (astronomy) A group of galaxy, galaxies or stars that appear near each other.
The Pleiades contains seven bright stars.
  1. (music) A chord of three or more notes.
  2. (phonetics) A group of consonants.
The word "scrub" begins with a of three consonants.
  1. (computing) A group of computers that work together.
  2. (statistics) A significant subset within a population.
  3. (military) Set of bombs or mines.
  4. (context, army) A small metal design that indicates that a medal has been awarded to the same person before.
verb
  1. (intransitive) To form into a cluster.
  • The children clustered together around the puppy.
cluster bomb Tweet Definition of cluster bomb Like Definition of cluster bomb on Facebook
noun
  1. explosive, Explosive munition designed to explode in the air and release a cluster of smaller explosives, thus spreading the blast over a larger area.
cohort Tweet Definition of cohort Like Definition of cohort on Facebook
noun
  1. a group of people
  2. a demographic grouping of people, especially those in a defined age group
  3. any division of a Roman legion; normally of about 500 men
colonel Tweet Definition of colonel Like Definition of colonel on Facebook
noun
  1. a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps. In U.S. military, it ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
column Tweet Definition of column Like Definition of column on Facebook
noun
  1. An upright supporting beam.
  2. A vertical line of entries in a table, going from top to bottom; as opposed to a horizontal row (going from left to right).
  3. A column of troops.
  4. A newspaper column.
  5. Anything having similar form or structure to the things mentioned above, such as a spinal column, etc.
combat Tweet Definition of combat Like Definition of combat on Facebook
noun
  1. A battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used); a struggle for victory.
verb (combats, combatting or combating, combatted or combated)
  1. (transitive) To fight; to struggle for victory
combatant Tweet Definition of combatant Like Definition of combatant on Facebook
noun
  1. An armed fighter.
Gladiators were combatants who fought to the death to entertain the public.
commandant Tweet Definition of commandant Like Definition of commandant on Facebook
noun
  1. A commanding officer, usually of a specific force or division.
commander Tweet Definition of commander Like Definition of commander on Facebook
noun (plural:commanders)
  1. One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
  2. A naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain.
  3. One who exercises control and direction over a group of persons.
commander in chief Tweet Definition of commander in chief Like Definition of commander in chief on Facebook
noun
  1. Supreme commander of the armed forces of an entire country.
commandery Tweet Definition of commandery Like Definition of commandery on Facebook
noun (commanderies)
  1. (obsolete, US) (alternative spelling of, commandry)
commando